Gatekeeping

Parents guard their children from harm.  They feed and clothe them, provide for their basic and not so basic needs, and give them good things to help them grow and learn.  As parents, and in particularly as parent-educators, it is important that we also guard watch over the materials and information being absorbed into the minds and hearts of our homeschooling kids, so we act as gatekeepers.  It's not easy .  It's often difficult to help them assimilate the things they need to know let alone navigate the plethora of messages that come their way.  We protect and defend them, guide them and teach them and then we must be our own gatekeepers too.

Browsing the Internet recently, I read something directed at "teachers" that made me think about how important it is to know what it is that is contained within a curriculum.  I mean, if your kids are taking a class, you want to know what will be taught i that class.... right?  You also want to help them thnk critically about it afterward as well.  Well, this was an offer to teachers, to use the "FREE" lesson plans from the internet.  There was a catch though.  In order to view the materials, the teacher had to sign up as a member ... first.

Weird.  You did know what it was that your would get?  You did not, until you joined.  you simply had to trust that once you signed up it would be good.

Wanna join?

The ad read, "...teachers, can view a variety of lesson ideas and handouts on popular topics."  

Curious, about what "popular topics" they had lesson plans for that I could use for my high school kids, lessons that they were offering to teachers everywhere if they "joined" this site, I decided to join.

Brave, I know.

I didn't think they meant, in particular, homeschool teachers, by offering the free materials to "teachers;" I figured they targeted teachers in our public schools.  This got me thinking.  I wondered, "Do school teachers need district approval to teach from website downloaded materials or did they have to stick to the books that were part of school curriculum?  If they could get materials for free like this, why did it cost so much to send a kids to public school?  If school trachers have certain textbook materials they use in class, I also wondered if they would even have time, after school to.. not only correct papers but create their own lesson plan ideas, like me.

I had to check this content out.

First I was required to give out personal information, my email address.... location.... and name.   It dawned on me that whoever ran this website would gather lots of information about teachers.  That's quite a data base.  Not only that, think about this, the free material being offered would potentially be used in the teaching of kids in the classrooms (and homeschools)  all across America too.

 Who ran this website anyhow?  I didn't know.  What would they do with my name and eamil and location?  Who knows.

Well, that gate just went down.

Upon viewing the materials, quite frankly, it seemed pretty good to me.  Just the same, I had no idea about the substance of the stuff beforehand.  I had no idea what information it contained or even if the information would be reliable or even if I would want to use it.   Most of all, for public school teachers, it probably was not even "district approved." Some company set up a webpage and offered to give free stuff to teachers to use.  

Seeds were being planted.  Fortunately, the information was helpful and useful to me in our homeschool.

Raising and educating kids is a little like farming, education is the seeds and the test results guarantee a crop.  Sometimes educating children is more like mining, unearthing the golden beauty of their thinking and reasoning capabilities, like a gem.  For some people, your children are nothing more than a natural resource or commodity to be planted with a particular brand of seed or exploit for their own monetary gain.  Hands want to rock the cradle, but remember the cradle belongs to you.

Did I mention, this was a political website and the materials were "FREE."  In my assessment as a parent educator... and a gatekeeper,  they were reasonable and informative no things of interest to your school, so I was happy,  but let me tell you, I had a lot of reading and understanding to do before I could turn around and share these materials with my kids.   I wondered how much time school teachers had to do this.... if they even would... or f they would just teach them because they sounded good and they were "free."  Does it matter what personal opinions and facts on major controversial issues like gun control and cloning these papers contained?  Does it matter what opinions and facts are being taught to children,  to either mine or yours or someone else''s kids?

Yes.

So what is your child learning?  Do you know?  Do you approve?  Is it wholesome, helpful and most importantly is it true?  Do you, as parent, and educational gatekeeper for your growing, learning, child, have a voice in their education?  Do you know what philosophy of life and living is being taught (or not,)  whether your child in in your care, simply attends a class or goes daily to full-blown school?  Does your opinion and support of what they learn and do in their education, even matter? Does it count?

It is smart always to be aware of what kids are learning and the material they are learning from and to have open communication about all sorts of subjects, age appropriately of course, with your kids.  If someone else is teaching them, do not be afraid to ask questions and be informed; give your input when you can. 

You and your spouse are the parents of your own child...  gatekeepers, and your wise and watchful love and care for them, your helpful guidance as their parents and their most important teachers in their life.... through whatever comes their way, will benefit them greatly as they learn and grow.